The present invention relates to a splitter for separating the individual conductors of a ribbon cable.
Ribbon cable provides an economical and easy to handle means for carrying groups of conductors. Individual conductors are typically mass terminated to connectors having rows of contacts. Many of these connectors have contact spacing which requires splitting the cable so that the conductors may be terminated individually.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,329 discloses a ribbon cable splitter of the type comprising first and second rollers having parallel axes, each roller having a plurality of parallel radially extending annular teeth, the centerline spacing of adjacent teeth being twice the centerline spacing of adjacent conductors of the ribbon cable, the teeth on each roller being aligned with the spaces on the other roller. The apparatus further comprises means for moving the rollers relatively together to engage the cable and to urge adjacent conductors in opposite directions to separate them, alternate conductors being urged in the same direction.
The above-described apparatus utilizes a cam mechanism to bring the rollers together and a hand crank to feed the cable out of the rollers and separate the conductors. The cam mechanism does not readily lend itself to sensing alignment of the cable as it is engaged by the rollers, and the rollers require rotary drive means. Separated conductors tend to curl with the adjacent teeth of each roller.